A Hasty Decision
by Tibbins
Summary: Merlin persuades Arthur bring Gwen back and volunteers to go and get her, what could possibly go wrong? Merthur
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys!**

**So this is something I've had on my computer for a while, and I've been in a Merlin mood lately so I decided to upload it. I'm not sure where it's gonna go from here and my updating skills are shockingly bad at the moment so we may not know for a while.**

**I'm a little rusty at fanfiction writing so I hope this comes out ok**

**I don't own Merlin but I wish I did!**

**Enjoy ^_^**

Arthur didn't look up when Merlin entered, didn't even seem to notice. He was on the stone floor, head on his knees, arms wrapped around his legs, staring at nothing, cocooned in his misery. He tensed when Merlin dropped down to sit beside him and waited, offering his silent support, showing Arthur that he was there if he needed to talk.

After a while, Arthur spoke

'I never thought ...' he said dolefully, as if he had to explain

'I know'

'I just-'

'It's alright'

'Dammit Merlin!' said Arthur heatedly 'let me fin-'

'No' the manservant interjected with a cheeky grin that only lasted a few moments, he glanced towards the king briefly to gauge his reaction. The blonde huffed in such a way that could have been a laugh if the circumstances were different. There was a pause. Then

'I sent her away' Arthur said in a very small voice, as if he didn't believe it of himself. He closed his eyes for a moment. He wouldn't cry, kings don't cry.

'Yes' came the simple answer 'you did' there was nothing in Merlin's voice, no emotion, just a statement of fact; for a reason he couldn't explain, this comforted Arthur and he turned his head to look at his manservant, who didn't meet his eyes but steadfastly returned to looking at the wall.

'You're angry with me' it wasn't a question. He could see it in the man's pale face, his lips pressed tightly together, the look in his startling eyes that never failed to show him Merlin's feelings. He deserved Merlin's anger he knew. He hadn't acted rationally, he had been impulsive and hadn't stopped to consider the consequences. But he had been hurt and angry and hadn't known what else to do. To his surprise, Merlin sighed and shook his head

'No' he said in a defeated sort of way, turning at last to meet Arthur's clear blue eyes 'I understand why you did it. Lancelot-' he stopped suddenly and turned away as a sharp pain flashed through his chest. He disliked Morgana for many reasons, but he truly hated her for this. She had dragged Lancelot's honour through the mud, made the most noble knight of them all appear to be a traitor.

Had Lancelot not been a shade, he would never have tried to get in the way of Arthur and Gwen. He would have stayed at a distance, quietly in love as Gwen became the queen and a mother. He would have protected Arthur until his dying day and never resented him as long as Gwen was happy. And he could never put that tarnished reputation right without revealing himself.

He tried to swallow to get rid of the lump in his throat. It didn't work. It was more than he could bear, having to stand back and watch as Lancelot's goodness and loyalty was pulled apart and discarded as though it had never been, or meant nothing. His friend. The only one apart from Gaius and his mother that would never judge him for his magic. Tears stung at his eyes but he blinked them back, refusing to lose himself in his grief. He was here to comfort Arthur after all. He glanced at his king to see his expression turn stony at the mention of Lancelot

'Lancelot betrayed me' he said harshly, ignoring Merlin's flinch. Then he sighed 'as did Guinevere' his voice was filled with such sadness and longing that Merlin didn't have the heart to chastise him. Gwen had been his friend too and he missed her almost as much as Arthur did, almost as much as he missed Lancelot.

'Maybe' he conceded, leaning back against the bed 'but you still miss her' Arthur slumped forwards

'Yes' he said sadly 'I do'

'Then get her back' Merlin said earnestly, turning to him 'Find her and bring her back to Camelot!' Arthur just shook his head morosely

'I've lost her' he whispered.

'No' said Merlin, so firmly that Arthur looked at him in surprise. Merlin's hands were balled into fists and there was a fierce glint in his eye 'No' he repeated, voice shaking. 'I've lost _my_ love Arthur. You sent _yours_ away. Gwen can come back! So just stop being a stubborn, selfish clotpole and send for her before you lose her for good!' he glared at the king. Arthur watched in shock as his manservant's expression then softened as he turned away from him, his eyes glistening with wetness. Merlin had a love? How come he had never known? Merlin talked about _everything;_ he talked about his chores, the knights' training, who he had met on the stairs, what Gwaine had said about him. But never once had he mentioned a girl.

'What's her name?' Arthur asked, tentatively, he regretted asking almost immediately. Merlin's voice broke as he answered

'Freya' He spoke the name like a prayer, a word that caused him both joy and pain. He recognised the tone. It was exactly how he used to say 'Guinevere'; that thought hurt. Craving a distraction he asked another question.

'What happened?' Merlin's mouth opened and closed again, a tear slid down his cheek. Merlin internally debated what to say. He could lie, say that she had moved away or something. But that would have been an insult to Freya's memory. But he didn't have to tell Arthur the full truth. Not to mention the fact that he wasn't even sure he could get the words out.

'She ... she was killed' he managed, thickly. Arthur's face changed immediately from curiosity to compassion. The grief on his friend's face was painful to watch as Merlin tried in vain to control himself.

'I'm sorry' he said sincerely. Merlin sniffed and shook his head.

'Don't be' he said 'You didn't know. It wasn't your fa-.' He stopped suddenly. Eyes wide. Arthur frowned, puzzled.

'You make it sound like _I -_' He trailed off, taking Merlin's face into account. He turned slightly to face him, mouth open, working furiously but no sound came out. He didn't know what to say. He racked his brain but couldn't think of any girl called Freya, let alone one he had killed. Merlin looked at him with watery eyes, but there was only grief in them, no judgement or anger.

'She wasn't human when you struck her' he said gently. 'She was the bastet.' He swallowed and blinked 'She had just enough time to turn human again and ... and say goodbye'. Arthur's eyes widened in understanding. Merlin's mood around that time. The dress, the humming, the food, the joy. To be replaced by an inexplicable sorrow and dolefulness that had lasted for weeks. And he had been his usual brash, tactless self, knowing that something was amiss but not bothering to find out what it was, satisfied when he had made Merlin laugh, assuming that it wasn't anything for a prince to be concerned with.

He felt a coil of revulsion in the pit of his stomach as he looked at his manservant. He had lost someone important to him, perhaps _most_ important to him, and he didn't blame Arthur for making it happen. He never had. He hadn't been angry, just sad. He hadn't thrown a punch or screamed or poisoned him. He had continued to be his manservant, advisor and friend. If the situation had been reversed and Merlin had killed Gwen, even unknowingly, he knew he would never have been so forgiving.

Merlin looked away; he had long since forgiven Arthur for his ignorance, but that didn't stop it hurting. Freya was a wound that he had had no intention of opening. It was unexpectedly painful, as raw as the day it had happened. He was also surprised that Arthur hadn't jumped on him about falling in love with an evil, cursed, magical creature, and only supposed that having very recently learned the lesson about not being able to control who you fell in love with.

'I'm sorry' Arthur said again. I can only imagine-'

'-Bring Gwen back' Merlin begged, interrupting. He wanted to get back to the subject at hand. He could lose himself in memories of Freya later. Arthur sighed

'I can't' he said. Ironically, Merlin's distress calmed him. 'It wouldn't be right. I can never take her for my queen now. That bond had been broken. No matter how much I wish otherwise'

'But if you love her-'

'I don't' He cut in curtly 'I can't. Not anymore.' She had betrayed him, and he had experienced too many betrayals. For the woman he loved to ... well, that changed a person. He could never look at Guinevere again without thinking of how much she had hurt him. He had bared his heart to her and she had trampled on it. Merlin nodded in understanding. He looked sympathetically at his king

'Send for her anyway' he said softly, after a moment's hesitation

'What?!' squawked Arthur incredulously 'Have you not heard a word I just-'

'I'm not thinking about _you_ you pompous ass!' Merlin burst out '_I _miss her too! And so does half of Camelot! She made a lot of friends here, she made a _difference_. You can't just throw her out of her _home _and not expect any consequences!'

'What do you mean?'

'The people loved Gwen. She gave them hope that they could do more with their lives. And seeing as how none of them really know what she did they'll blame you for taking that away! Now, I'm not saying that they'll revolt or anything, things are good here and you're a fair king and they tend not to care much what royals do anyway unless it affects them. But Gwen... She's one of the people, always has been. I'm not saying take her back as your wife but bring her back to Camelot.' he waited, almost holding his breath as he watched Arthur consider this. 'Besides' he added 'it's safer for her in Camelot, Morgana knows what she means to you and that could mean anything bad.' at this, Arthur's head jerked up.

'You're right' he said eventually 'I can't put her in danger like that. She's still under my protection if nothing else.' he stood and Merlin scrambled to follow, Arthur placed a hand on his shoulder, the silent thanks passing between them. Arthur then marched over to his desk and picked up a quill 'I'll send a patrol to look for her'

'I'll go' Merlin said immediately crossing the room to the door 'A patrol of Camelot knights would probably just scare her into hiding from them.' Arthur looked up, frowning

'At least take some with you' he said 'there's been a lot of bandit activity lately in the outlying villages as well as Morgana roaming about.'

'Worried about me already?' Merlin teased, grinning when Arthur's scowl deepened 'I'll take Gwaine' he said, ducking out of the door before Arthur could throw something at him.

**So... What do you think? It reads a bit strange at the moment imo but let me know yours ^_^**

**Reviews, criticism, all welcome. I can't get better unless I know what's wrong :D**

**Love Tibbins xx**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you guys so much for the great responses so far ^_^**

**dawnkind: Yes, this story probably will turn out to be slash, I probably won't be able to help it :P**

**This chapter is dedicated to my first reviewer: Mika271170**

**If you don't know my work then you should know that I dedicate each chapter to my favourite reviewer for the chapter before, so get reviewing guys ;)**

**I still don't own Merlin**

**Enjoy ^_^**

'So' said Gwaine as he and Merlin trotted companionably side-by-side, Merlin on a white mare, and Gwaine on a chestnut stallion. 'Have you told Elyan that we're going to bring back his sister?' he smirked as Merlin shifted guiltily in his seat 'I'll take that as a no'

'I figured you'd be a bit more ... lax about taking breaks' mumbled the manservant. 'I don't know how long it'll take to find her. And...' he trailed off, looking down at the mane of his horse

'I'm better company' the knight finished with a sharp look sideways 'Elyan has been a bit gloomy of late, probably because his _sister_ was booted out of the kingdom' It wasn't like Merlin to put his own comfort before someone else's and Gwaine felt something akin to disappointment. There were very few certainties in life, one of which was Merlin's selflessness.

'I don't want him to be angry at Arthur if we find her in some hovel' he said in a very small voice 'Arthur didn't send her away with much. It was a spur of the moment thing, if he'd have planned it out properly he would have given her enough coin for a decent place and-'

'Say no more' Gwaine said in an overly-pompous tone to lighten the mood 'I get it. You just wanna spare the princess some trouble.' another certainty in life, Merlin would put Arthur before anything else, he couldn't help a slight pang of jealousy at that particular certainty though.

Merlin grinned sheepishly

'You've got to stop calling him that, he's the king now, so unless you start calling him 'queen'-'

'It doesn't have the same ring to it' Gwaine said firmly, and Merlin laughed outright.

'You know, if I hadn't come along first and gotten him used to being insulted...'

'Then I wouldn't have bothered saving him in that tavern and he'd be dead by now.' Gwaine finished, perfectly aware that without Merlin, only Leon would still have been a knight. Merlin was like that, he had befriended the unlikeliest people and bonded them together in a tapestry of loyalty and respect.

Merlin smiled at the joke but Gwaine could see he still felt guilty for leaving Elyan in the dark, Gwaine leaned over and punched him lightly on the shoulder

'Cheer up, mate' he said 'It'll be a nice surprise for him when we bring Gwen back' Merlin cheered up a bit after that, almost immediately after Gwaine did his impression of Arthur in the morning.

Three hours later and they were still following the road, there were no distinctive track marks that Merlin could see where Gwen's cumbersome cart had left the main pathway. She'd been gone for almost a day but there hadn't been any rain. Merlin remembered helping her pack as she cried silent tears, trying to reassure her, that he would talk to Arthur, he would come round; she had nodded bravely but her smile had been forced and her head stayed bowed. She hadn't looked back as he waved her off at sunset.

He remembered the pangs of guilt as he watched her struggle with the cart, he wanted to help her get where she was going, but he had known that Arthur would need him too. So he had turned away with a heavy heart, and vowed to do his best to get her back.

The nearest village outside the kingdom was the village of Drithen, just on the outskirts of Mercia. It was a good bet, at least a five hour walk from the Camelot, even longer with a heavy load, but there she could stop at an inn or something for the night before moving a little further from Camelot each day. She wouldn't want to be anywhere near a reminder of that life, he knew, and she could always sell some of the fine dresses if needs be, although he knew she would prefer to find work in a smithy or something.

He and Gwaine chatted about nothing of importance while his thoughts churned over Gwen, yes it had been Morgana's amulet, and yes, Lancelot had been persuasive as a shade, but still. He knew that not all of the blame could be laid elsewhere. The amulet merely amplified her present feelings for him but without it, Merlin had a feeling that Gwen would have gone to Not-Lancelot anyway. She had loved him, it was no secret, and although Merlin had been so happy to think of Arthur and Gwen being married, there was also a sense of _wrongness_. Gwen belonged with Lancelot. It was only after he had died that she had been fully secure with Arthur, and Merlin couldn't stop the thought that maybe it would be a good thing for Gwen and Arthur to be apart. They both deserved someone else.

The thought was firm in his mind, although he never would have voiced it. Anyway, he was just as certain that Gwen would be safer in Camelot. If only they could find her.

_XXX_

Morgana watched them from her watery scry-glass, a smirk on her lips. So Gwen wasn't in Camelot. That would make her easier to get to. Thanks to her trick with the shade, her plan had worked to create that divide between the usurper king and his would-be-queen, but having Gwen would be useful. No matter how betrayed Arthur felt he obviously still cared for the girl, that was evident by the fact that he was sending his idiotic manservant to take her back. And she knew the workings of the castle better than Morgana did, a lot had changed since she had been ousted from her rightful place.

Gwen could be the key to bringing Arthur down once and for all. She wiped the scry-glass, the image of Merlin's blasted neckerchief the last thing to fade. She cocked her head and considered. Merlin was closer to the king than Gwen, especially now. And he was vulnerable, with only the one knight for protection. Arthur was fond of him too, possibly more so now that his precious Guinevere had betrayed him.

She almost had an army ready, she could spare a few men to accompany her to Drithen, it wasn't a terribly long ride. The men were from a little known kingdom, just beyond Mercia, whose king had been only too happy to assist her, for a price of course. her mouth twisted in disgust. Still, Klynth would get his due, she would see to that, and she would get his men and his castle. It was small as castles go, and grimy. But Morgana was used to worse, as long as she had all the cells, and tools that she'd need.

_XXX_

They arrived in Drithen soon after, and after getting off their horses and leading them through the busy market, they found a stables where they could rest while Gwaine and Merlin searched the town. Merlin paid the stable-hand with a fat gold coin and asked for directions to the nearest inn.

'Overkill, mate' said Gwaine 'silver is a handsome enough tip for a stable lad' Merlin just smiled and said nothing. Although the knight was by no means snobbish, or tight with his money, he was never overly generous unless he was deep in his cups. Merlin on the other hand, liked to help people out when he could. This was hardly as plentiful a kingdom as Camelot and he figured that it wasn't his money anyway. Arthur need never know.

They made their way to the 'Lamb and Wolf' inn where they saw Gwen's cart had been left outside, empty now, presumably she had taken her things to her room. It was dark inside and it smelled of spilled ale and sour mead, but it was clean enough and the patrons looked friendly, Gwaine ambled off to a nearby poker game while Merlin asked the barkeep about Gwen and ordered a flagon of mead for Gwaine, again tipping handsomely, which got him a toothy smile and cheerful directions to her room. He waited outside for a few moments, his stomach in knots, before he worked up the courage to raise his fist and knock on the door.

**So what do you think so far? Again I have no idea where this story is going so ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN!**

**All thoughts and opinions are welcome ^_^ **

**Feel free to check out my other fanfics (all my other Merlin ones are complete) and review on those too please ;)**

**WARNING: There may be a long gap between chapters and also Merthur is likely to happen.**

**Love you guys**

**Love Tibbins xx**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys ^_^**

**Told you it could be a while, but it's actually better than usual :P which is quite bad I know, sorry D:**

**But it's pretty long so that gets me points ... right?**

**I'm trying really hard to better my writing, for this one in particular. So any tips are always welcome, please let me know if I've made any mistakes.**

**I don't own Merlin, nor will I ever ... can I just say now that this applies to the whole fic so I don't have to put it in every chapter? :P**

**This chapter is dedicated to: A Guest. I don't know who you are but your review was pretty much spot on so y'know, I had to mention it ;)**

**Enjoy ^.^**

Arthur paced his chambers, hands clasped behind his back, which was sloped forwards, he looked like he had a purpose for his pacing, but really he was just worrying. Worrying that Merlin wouldn't be able to find Guinevere, worrying that she wouldn't _want_ to come back, worrying what would happen if she _did_ and he actually had to see her again.

The same thoughts churned around his mind like sludge caught in the spokes of a wheel. He just couldn't stop worrying. He snapped at the chambermaid who came to politely remind him of a training session with the knights, he had asked for the reminder and he knew that he was being unreasonable, but all he did by way of apology was scowl and leave the room, hoping that his old reserve of hitting things would help clear his mind a little.

_XXX_

Gwen opened the door feeling haggard, she hadn't slept well last night, the mattress was stuffed with straw and she itched all over. It took her a good few blinks to recognise Merlin

'Hi Gwen' he said with a small, tentative smile

'Merlin?!' she pushed some wayward hair out of her eyes and stood back to let Merlin in 'what are you doing here?'

'I promised didn't I?' Merlin's gaze swept the room and there was pity in his eyes once he had, Gwen flushed, she didn't want his pity.

'Promised what?' she asked, curious

'That I'd talk to Arthur'

Hope flared inside of her like a beacon. She thought of Arthur's face the last time she had seen it, contorted with anger and pain, and knowing she had caused that ... well, it wasn't very pleasant. And then she thought of Lancelot and the brightness dimmed: his face, his smile ... and now he was gone forever, again. _But Arthur isn't gone_ she battled with herself _he's alive and he's forgiven me._ The thought made her smile.

'Thank you, Merlin' she said and the manservant smiled back, if a little sadly

'I think it's fair to warn you' he said, eyes gazing directly into hers, but his shifting feet told her he was uncomfortable with what he was about to say 'Arthur won't take you back, Gwen. Not like that, not yet. I'm sorry. What happened ... it hurt him, and it was all I could do to allow you back to Camelot.'

Gwen dropped her eyes to hide her disappointment. It's not as if she hadn't expected it, after all, how _could_ Arthur accept her back so readily? How could she expect him to? She blinked back a couple of threatening tears and forced a smile, putting a hand on Merlin's shoulder, he was biting his lip, looking as upset as she felt

'It's alright Merlin, it's still better than I could have hoped for' she said, patting him gently on the arm.

_XXX_

Gwaine was on his third tankard of mead by the time Merlin escorted the lady Guinevere down the stairs, he collected his winnings at the table of card players (which wasn't much, he had lost a few rounds) and stumbled over to join them at their own table by the door.

'Hello Gwaine'

'Milady' Gwaine greeted, taking her hand and kissing it 'Your brother will be happy to see you back at Camelot'

Gwen smiled at him

'I will be just as happy to be back' she said, although her eyes betrayed her nerves. It was understandable, Gwaine thought, she was wondering what reception she would get from everyone after Lancelot ... _tempted_ her away. The thought tasted bitter. He had always liked Lancelot, they had been good friends. He had been as protective of Merlin as Gwaine was, and he respected that in the fellow knight, he often saw crease in his forehead as his eyes followed the manservant when he was around. Of course, he had also seen the longing in them whenever the former-queen-to-be was around too.

He took another swig of his drink to banish that thought; Lancelot's honour was not something he ever would have disputed while the man was alive and he refused to remember him that way now he was dead. Either way, he liked Gwen. In a completely platonic way of course, they didn't exactly hang out together much but he was glad Arthur wasn't being such a pompous royal as to deny Camelot of Gwen, she was always kind and friendly and that went a long way in Gwaine's book. He felt the draft tickle the back of his neck as the door opened and he shivered slightly. Glancing out of the window he saw that it was getting dark.

'It's a bit late to head back to Camelot now' he said, nodding to the setting sun 'It's probably best we stay here the night and leave in the morning.' the others agreed and Gwaine went up to the bar to fix a room with two beds for him and Merlin for the night. When he had finally squeezed between two particularly large men and raised his hand to call to the barkeep, he heard a yell, felt a sharp pain on the back of his head, and then his chin as he hit the bar on his way down. He twisted in the direction of his friends and saw a familiar smirk before he blacked out.

_XXX_

Merlin felt her presence as soon as she revealed herself, right behind him. He turned with a yell for Gwen to run, saw Gwaine slump to the floor, heard Gwen's gasp of horror.

'Merlin' Morgana said brightly 'how nice to see you again' her smile turned to stone and her eyes glowed gold as she flung him across the table and into Gwen, who was halfway out the door, they landed hard and Merlin rolled off her quickly, only to see about six large, thuggish men advancing on them. He could have called on his magic, could have disintegrated them to nothing. But he hesitated, he couldn't reveal himself to Gwen, and he didn't want any more deaths on his conscience if he could help it. His eyes darted everywhere and he saw the window, crouching down to both hide his eyes and pull Gwen to her feet from behind he whispered a spell.

The glass exploded, sending shards everywhere and causing screams and panic from the other patrons; distracted, Morgana turned as a shard of glass sliced by her cheek, leaving a red line on her face. Wasting no time, Merlin grabbed Gwen and pushed her out of the inn, closing the door with a quick flash of his eyes to lock it magically, it might buy them a few seconds. He felt a pain in his chest at leaving Gwaine, Morgana's plan was to take Gwen but he'd be damned if he left Gwaine to become collateral. They sprinted over to the stables and Merlin spun around, taking her shoulders in his hands and shaking her slightly to focus her, her eyes kept sliding to the door where at any moment Morgana's men would find them.

'Listen to me' he said, his voice came out harsher than he'd meant it to be 'take a horse, ride back to Camelot, you'll be safe there. I have to go back for Gwaine, we'll catch you up. Go!' he shoved her towards the mare and left the stable, not waiting for her argument. He saw the guards and ran past them the other way, yelling to distract them from the fact that the white horse was already halfway down the street, their target astride it. They turned stupidly towards him and gave chase, he ran as fast as he could back towards the inn whose door had been blown off it's hinges, hoping to Albion that Morgana had left with her men, he dived through the window just in case and rolled to hit the bar where Gwaine lay, inches from him. He glanced around before turning to the unconscious man, the bartender was cowering behind the bar, other customers had either deserted the building or run upstairs to hide, either way, it was just the two of them.

'Gwaine' he whispered, shaking the knight's shoulder urgently 'Gwaine wake up!' he rolled the man over and winced at the quickly developing bruise on his chin 'Gwaine!'

The knight stirred and Merlin breathed a sigh of relief.

'Merlin? What happened?' he sat up, grimacing, rubbing his jaw and the back of his head 'What was I drinking?'

'There's no time' Merlin said, pulling Gwaine up 'We've got to move, now.'

'And miss out on all the fun?' said a lilting voice behind him that turned him cold, 'now, why would you want to do that?' Merlin spun around to face her, keeping his back to Gwaine, Morgana was flanked by four other thugs, and they were advancing menacingly

'Gwen's long gone' Merlin said fiercely 'She's halfway back to Camelot by now.' this was an exaggeration they both knew, Camelot was a good couple of hours ride even at a gallop. But she had a good head start.

'Oh, I've already got Gwen' Morgana said with her trademark smirk 'I placed some men up the road on the way to Camelot just in case, I'm no fool.' Merlin's stomach seemed to fall through his shoes. He had failed Gwen, he had failed Arthur. And then he looked at Morgana, really looked, she was thinner than he had last seen her, and paler, with darkness and anger in her eyes, eyes that had once been full of love and joy, her quick wit had been funny and she had been a fierce friend. He had failed her too.

'No' Merlin said sadly, 'you're not. Why are you still here, Morgana? You got what you came for.'

'I got half' Morgana spat, her raven hair tumbled down to her waist in natural curls, no longer sleek and shiny but dull and matted, it writhed as she moved her head 'Now, I'm taking you'

'Not on my watch, you're not' growled Gwaine, pushing past Merlin and unsheathing his sword with a swish. Morgana laughed, merciless and cruel, a laugh that wasn't conveying joy, merely satisfaction. Merlin had to act fast, he flung Gwaine sideways out the window and into the street before Morgana could tear him apart, the witch gasped, turning in confusion

'How did -' the question died on her lips as she saw the gold in Merlin's eyes, her own eyes turned black with fury and she advanced 'You!' she screamed, 'You! After all this time?! You're Emrys aren't you?!'

Merlin threw her back, even now, he was reluctant to hurt her. He ran for the door, pushing his way past her lackeys before they had realised what had happened, grabbed Gwaine who had just struggled to standing and together they ran.

'After him!' he heard Morgana's shriek in his ears, his blood was pounding, his heart was racing, his only thought was to get out, get to Arthur so they could rescue Gwen, get Gwaine to safety. There were footsteps right behind them, a hand clawed at the back of his shirt and pulled hard, he tried to yank away but tripped and was sent sprawling to the ground, they had him by his arms and dragged him back, one thug snapped cuffs onto his wrists and he cried out in pain; enchanted to suppress magic. He saw Gwaine turn at the sound, preparing to run back into the fray and fight... But Merlin wouldn't allow it.

'Run!' he yelled, the knights' jaw set and his hand tightened on his sword. Merlin shouted again, 'Go! Find Gwen, save Gwen!' with any luck they'd still have her where they caught her and then they could both get back to Camelot unharmed... mostly. Gwaine hesitated at this, if there was one thing that would make him leave, Merlin knew, it was his chivalry. Gwen was definitely a damsel in distress, and Gwaine had to make a choice. He held Gwaine's eyes while the men holding him prepared for a fight. Merlin was shoved roughly to the floor but he kept his head up, staring Gwaine down.

'Go' he mouthed. Gwaine took two hesitant steps back, then turned tail and fled.

**So what do you think?**

**Any good? **

**Again I am really trying to improve my writing on this one, I'm trying to stop head-hopping and stick to one characters point of view (unless I indicate that I'm changing, usually with _XXX)_**

**Please let me know your opinions and stuff, I really appreciate all feedback.**

**Remember, every reviewer has a chance at a dedication next chapter ;)**

**Love you all**

**Love Tibbins xx**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys ^_^ it's been a little while since I last updated this but I have been working on it! And here is the proof :P**

**Sorry for the delay, real life is a bitch xD**

**This chapter is dedicated to: Loulou2a, thank you for your review :D**

**I don't own Merlin**

**Enjoy ^_^**

Gwaine was on his horse and on the road within seconds, he didn't look back, he didn't think that he could bear to. He didn't want to know what they were doing with Merlin right this second, but Merlin was right, he had to find Gwen. Not because he liked her more (that contest would have been clear) or whose life was worth more (again, Merlin would win in his opinion) but his honour as a knight was to protect the innocent, and Merlin was stronger than a lot of people gave him credit for. He could handle Morgana, at least until they could rescue him. He hoped. He urged his horse faster, scouring the path for any trace of Gwen as he followed the mare's tracks, she had stuck to the road he noticed, fear rising in his throat. Where would Morgana have placed her men?

THERE! The tracks led off the road, into the woods, he followed, slower now, it wouldn't do for his horse to break a leg. He dismounted and tied his horse to a tree, he was going about as fast as walking pace anyway. He trod carefully, following the hoofprints that soon became footprints where Gwen had obviously felt the same way he had. He could see where the mare had been but she wasn't there now. Had Gwen come back for her a different way? He walked around the tree. There were other footprints there, too large to be Gwen's. He edged forwards carefully, sword at the ready, listening for anything out of place. Then he heard the faint murmur of voices and followed, they grew louder and he came across a small break in the trees, leading to a small road.

From a bush he could see the lady Guinevere, bound and gagged being carried, struggling to the back of a wagon and tossed in unceremoniously. The brute carrying her jumped in with her and there were four others on the road, three of them on horses and the other driving the wagon.

Gwaine lowered his sword and waited for them to begin moving off; then, when they weren't looking, he crept behind the back of the wagon and leapt in. The space was cramped and he had about three seconds before the guards surprise wore off, he grabbed Gwen by the back of her dress and yanked her backwards, swinging with his other hand to connect the hilt of his sword to the man's head, and he fell to his knees, dazed. Gwaine gave him one more good punch, and the guard slipped to the floor. His hands then went to Guinevere, untying her gag and urging her to keep quiet, then he cut her ropes with his knife and they jumped together out of the back of the wagon and into the trees, hoping against hope that the others hadn't heard anything.

Hand in hand they ran back to his horse. They couldn't hear footsteps but that was no guarantee of anything. Gwaine dared a glance back, there was nothing behind them. They reached the horse and Gwaine gave Gwen a leg up. He then stopped to look at her

'Are you hurt, milady?' he asked. Gwen turned her head this way and that, looking for any sign of pursuit

'No, I'm fine' she said, she then reached out a hand to help him up and he accepted. Suddenly

'Gwaine, behind you!' she cried, and instinctively, Gwaine ducked and pivoted, receiving a glancing blow to his shoulder.

'Get to Arthur!' Gwaine yelled 'He needs to know what-' But Gwen was being dragged from her seat on the horse, and the horse, frightened by the noise and commotion reared back and galloped off into the trees. Gwaine managed to incapacitate three of his opponents before his sword was thrown from his hand, he drew his knife instead and regained his sword, but he couldn't see Gwen anymore, they were taking her back to the wagon! Gwaine roared and raced through the woods, dodging trees and cutting his way through brambles. By the time he reached the road, the wagon was gone.

All that was left was Merlin's white mare, grazing peacefully, tied to a branch. Gwaine flung his sword down in anger and kicked at the dust. He had failed, he hadn't saved Gwen anyway which meant that he _could _ have saved Merlin, or if he hadn't hesitated then he could have gotten to Gwen before the others did, a quick escape. Now he was left to tell his king that he had failed his best friend and the woman they had been sent to retrieve. What kind of a knight - a man, was he if he couldn't protect the people he cared about? His cloak was dirty and torn and his armour felt twice as heavy as usual ad he trudged over to the mare and patted her on the neck. There was a note pinned to the saddle, a note that filled him with rage

_Give Arthur my love_

_Morgana._

_XXX_

Gwen was back in ropes, a filthy rag in her mouth, in the back of a smelly wagon with two, large guards, so there wasn't exactly much moving room. She could feel hot tears staining her cheeks but she didn't care. She had been so close to freedom. The freedom that Merlin had given to her, the freedom that Gwaine had tried so valiantly to restore. She hoped they were both alright. Her only comfort was that Arthur would know soon, even if neither Merlin nor Gwaine had gotten out then there would be reports from a villager, a passer-by who saw at least some of the attack. He would know that she hadn't spurned him, that she would have come back to him. If she could.

She didn't know how long the journey was, she spent most of it lost in her own misery. There was no way she could escape. She was no fighter, she wasn't nearly strong enough to render either of the guards unconscious and she had no weapons to use anyway. She was useless. Eventually they slowed to a stop and one of the guards tugged her to her feet, half dragging her into a small but formidable looking castle, down wide, spiralling stone steps to where the dungeons must be.

She was thrust into a cell, where she fell on her knees and struggled to push herself up against the back wall, as far away from the guards as she could get, they ignored her floundering and grabbed her wrists, replacing the ropes with chains that were embedded in the wall, long enough to give her room to walk around the cell, to the bucket in the corner, and the pile of straw that was to serve as her bed, but it stopped her short of reaching the bars to her cage. A timid looking servant carrying a tray with a cup of water and some stale bread was watched carefully by the guards, one held the door open for her and she knelt down in the gap and slid the tray across the uneven stone towards the prisoner, spilling half the water. The servant then retreated and the door to the cell clanked shut and was locked securely from the outside.

The guards then shared a mutual laugh, and after a few jibes at her that she didn't hear properly, they left. Probably to stand sentry just outside the door to the dungeons. Gwen pushed herself to her feet and stepped tentatively towards the tray. She was very thirsty and she hadn't realised just how drained she was until she finished her meagre meal. She was still frightened, terrified in fact, after all this was where Morgana was, the evil sorceress who had once been her mistress and friend. She kicked the tray back towards the bars and heard a whimper in the cell opposite. What she had taken for a bundle of dirty rags stirred, and immediately she berated herself for not recognising him immediately, the light brown jacket and the faded colour around his neck.

'Merlin?' she called, hopefully. And she immediately hated herself for being hopeful that it _was _her friend caught in this dreadful place along with her. The figure sat up slowly, as though he was pushing off a great weight, and then he turned around to face her

'Gwen?' the dismay in his voice was obvious. He was clearly wishing her to be anywhere other than here. 'Are you alright?'

Gwen nodded and managed a small smile, returning the question.

'I'm alright, you?'

'Yeah' he said, although his answering smile was a bit strained. She noticed that his cuffs were different to hers, they looked newer, shinier, made of a different metal, and there were scratches in them, but she wasn't close enough to see. They were shorter than hers too, keeping him in the back half of his cell.

She heard a noise and her head swivelled around, the sound of the wooden door at the entrance opening, with a panicked glance back at Merlin, who met her frightened gaze, she shrank further back into the cell.

Morgana glided into view.

**So what do you think? A little more action packed, maybe a little too much so? I know there isn't much dialogue.**

**Something felt off about this chapter to me, but I couldn't figure out what it was so I don't know how to fix it. **

**Ideas and suggestions are most welcome, as are reviews of any kind (the more you review, the more likely you are to get a dedication ;) )**

**Please let me know what you think :)**

**Love Tibbins xx**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys :D so here's the next chapter for you :)**

**Real life really gets in the way sometimes :/ **

**This chapter is dedicated to: Mika271170**

**Also to: MinistryOfMagic13 because yes, it is most likely going to become slash ;)**

**A huge thank you to everyone reading :D**

**Enjoy ^_^**

Arthur was just starting to consider actually admitting to himself that he was concerned. Just a little. It had been a whole day since Merlin had left. He kept looking out of the window, waiting for Gwen's timid beauty, Merlin's goofy grin and Gwaine's drunken swagger to clatter in through the gates of Camelot, swaying atop of horses, Merlin maybe dragging Gwen's cart. But the gates remained clear of those particular faces, and Arthur felt a wrench in his gut every time he looked, and each time it was more difficult to see the gates from his window. It was past midnight by the time he stopped looking. He decided that Gwen must be further away than he had thought, maybe they hadn't found her yet. Maybe she had some business to take care of. Maybe Merlin was hard put convincing her to come back. So when Gwaine rode in, flat against his horse and leaped from the saddle as soon as he was at the castle steps, dropping the reins and racing towards his chambers, Arthur was clambering into bed.

_XXX_

'So, the great escape wasn't quite what you expected was it?' Morgana jeered at the both of them. She glanced at Merlin '_You_ led me to _her' _she jerked her head towards Gwen 'and your drunkard of a knight failed to protect either of you. Don't worry' she added, as Merlin strained in his chains and Gwen let out a little gasp 'He's alive. I needed _someone _to run off and tell Arthur that you were both in trouble.' and with that, and a laugh that seemed to bubble up from her throat, she turned on her heel and swept out. She stopped at the doorway and turned back to them, a smirk of malice on her face. 'You should probably get some sleep' she said thoughtfully 'tomorrow is a big day', the door closed behind her with a threatening finality. Gwen inched her way over to the bars and gripped them tight, making sure that she was gone.

'What do you think she'll do with us?' she whispered. Merlin looked up and met her eyes. He was pale, and his eyes conveyed to her what the words he said contradicted.

'I won't let anything bad happen to you' he said, fiercely, rattling his chains as he did so. He crept forwards too but he couldn't quite reach the bars in his shorter restraints. Gwen forced a smile

'Merlin' she said gently 'I don't really think you'll have a choice.'

She sat there for the next half an hour or so, trying to comfort and draw comfort from the man opposite. The darkness had settled, the night was still and her exhaustion was winning out over her fear. So she crawled over to the pile of straw in the corner and curled in on herself, as if that would somehow protect her from whatever horrors Morgana had planned for them both.

_XXX_

Merlin admired her bravery, he really did. She was as scared as he was,and she was at least _trying _to hide it, for his sake. The dungeon was almost completely dark now, only the barest glint of moonlight from the bars of her window allowed him to see her sleeping form. She was barely discernible from the straw she slept on, her breathing became deeper and more even as she relaxed in her sleep. Merlin wanted to stand guard over her, make sure that Morgana didn't come back in the night. He sat, leaning back against the rough stone wall, manacled hands encasing his knees. He didn't think he could bear to see Gwen hurt. And there really was nothing he could do to prevent it.

He tried levitating a single piece of straw, maybe he could manipulate it into metal and pick the lock, a simple enough spell, nothing he hadn't done before. He was the fated Emrys after all, he should be strong enough to throw the magic of these shackles off without a problem. He focussed on the straw, nothing happened. Suddenly, A white hot pain erupted in his skull. Merlin gasped, then bit his lip hard to prevent him from crying out. He tasted blood, but the pain in his head receded slightly, and he breathed out what was almost a sob of relief.

He could feel a constant, painful tugging, ever since these shackles were put on him, it felt as if they were pulling at his magic, biting and gnawing at it with sharp, pointed teeth, like it was tearing it away from him, tiny piece by tiny piece. And he couldn't even let his pain show, for Gwen's sake. What would she think if he suddenly started screaming, tearing at his own skin? Because that's what he felt like doing, it was like a persistent, un-ignorable _itch_ inside him, and he had a feeling that it was Morgana's plan to watch him be slowly driven mad. He was surprised that she hadn't called him out on his sorcery as soon as she came in, and that made him wonder why she hadn't.

Merlin shuffled and tried to lie down, but his manacles wouldn't let him, they were set higher in the wall so that he could sit but not lie without jarring his shoulder. The urge to use his magic to snap the chains was overwhelming but even the thought sent a spike of pain shooting through him. He let out a low moan and went back to sitting, resting his chin on his knees. He was scared, he had never felt so helpless, and that made his stomach twist even more. Without his magic he was nothing. He couldn't help anyone, he couldn't get Gwen out of here or help Arthur bring Albion together, what if these manacles really were eating his magic? Pulling it out of him and devouring it until he was empty? Even if Arthur _did_ come and rescue them, how long would it take for his magic to be completely gone? And how long would it take before his mind went with it?

He sat there in the darkness, his mind was swirling, swapping one worry for another. He sat and sat, he could hear a wind start to gently buffer the trees, and a soft rain tapping the stone of the castle, the black lightened to grey and he could no longer feel his legs or backside, cold water trickled down the back of his neck, making him shiver, but still he sat. He couldn't have slept, even if he tried. The tugging wasn't letting up.

Merlin stared down at the metal binding his wrists and magic. The carvings on them were an old language, he could barely make out the runes in the light and he couldn't decipher any of them without Gaius' books anyway, but they _looked_ evil, all spikes and sharp edges, not the softer, Druidic runes which made him think of healing and colour; these made him think of pain and fire and sickness. He tried twisting them around his wrists to get a better look at the runes, but they magically clamped down harder, biting into his skin, making him wince. A red line appeared where the metal met his skin and Merlin frowned at it and looked across at Gwen again, she had moved around fitfully during the night. Each movement a reminder that he hadn't been able to save her. And now they were both in grave danger.

**So what do you think? All feedback is welcome and appreciated :D**

**BTW: If anyone is so inclined, I have a journalism project that I could use some help with. If you want to PM me, telling me why you love reading/writing fanfiction and/or what you think about it as a form of literature, that would be super awesome and you would all get cookies for helping me out ^_^**

**Love you guys**

**Love Tibbins xx**


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